Murder at the Serpentine Bridge: A Wrexford & Sloane Historical Mystery (Wrexford & Sloane Mystery) Paperback – 22 Aug. 2023

I had been eagerly looking forward to book six in this series and I wasn’t disappointed – it’s absolutely wonderful! The author manages to come up with the most ingenious plots that fit in so well with the time period – the Regency – and I’m in awe of her skill at weaving it all together. The series is going from strength to strength and the cast of characters is expanding and becoming an amazing, tight-knit group of friends and allies that you can’t help but want to spend time with. I loved the addition of Falcon and really felt for him – no spoilers but I can’t wait to see more of him in future books. Set against the backdrop of the (premature) Peace Celebrations in London in 1814, when the European leaders congregated for a month to honour their victory against Napoleon (who had been imprisoned on the island of Elba), the story once again involves murder and intrigue. Wrexford and Charlotte are newly married and hoping for some peace and quiet, but instead they are drawn into a dark web where it’s hard to know who is friend and who is foe. Loved ones are threatened and there is even more at stake as their investigation could have huge international ramifications. It’s lucky they have sharp intellects and each other, plus their stalwart friends, as they race to solve the mystery. I honestly couldn’t put this down and yet again can’t wait for the next book in the series – just fabulous!

A swirling maelstrom of inventions and espionage forms the latest mystery for Lady Charlotte and Wrexford, as their 'family' also grows with another avian-moniker friend joining the aerie.The historical details of the peace celebrations, international diplomacy, key people and mathematical methodology are immensely intricate and satisfyingly well rendered, making the plot a joy to read.I love my regular autumn visit to this world, meeting old friends (and growing Weasels) on their new adventures each year.

A excellent story as I have come to expect from this author. Lots of intrigue and mayhem, mixed with friendship and love, not to mention murder. Very well worth reading. Hope the next one will not be too long in coming.

As usual the latest in this series is an enjoyable mystery set against real history background. Love the dynamics between Wrexford and Sloane and growing family & friends.

I always look forward to the next book in this series and they never disappoint

This is my first novel from this series. It features Lady Charlotte Sloane who was born to the aristocracy and is a satirical cartoonist. The Earl of Wrexford is a reclusive chap with a reputation as someone never to cross and the couple has recently married. Wrexford and Charlotte's wards, the Weasels, (two street urchins for whom Charlotte and Wrexford have taken guardianship) out walking their dog, Harper have come upon a body floating in a pond. It transpires that the man was working on a top-secret government project, and Wrexford must find out what happened.Murder at the Serpentine Bridge, set in 1814 is book six in the series. An appealing cast and a very good mystery have given me the inclination to read the other instalments sometime.This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Kensington via NetGalley.

I have been reading and enjoying this series since the first book. The last one wasn't the best so I was wondering how this one would pan out. I'm delighted to say the author is well back on track. It was an excellent read. The research done is staggering.The back drop to the story of the Gala and celebrations in England after the defeat of Napoleon was fantastically depicted. I learned so much about all this from the novel. The writer's descriptive writing has blown me away from the start.I was keen to see how the dynamic would change with Wrexford and Sloane now being married. It actually made it better. I love their relationship. This is not a love story. It's a murder mystery with a love story running through it. Their unconventional family is still going strong and there is a new addition to it in this book.Sheffield is back and it was great to have him in the circle again. Cordelia not so much but I think she will feature in the next one more.There is a large cast of characters and you need to concentrate to follow the story. The last few chapters are thrilling and the wind up exciting.So looking forward to the next in the series. I'd just like to add that the covers for these books are simply gorgeous.Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for an early copy of this book to read

I have been reading this series from the start and have to say this is one of my favourite books in the series. I was pulled in from the beginning and didn't want to put it down leading to a very late night for me. I was interested to see if things changed with Wexford and Charlotte's marriage but if anything it was better than ever. Love all the side character's as much as the main one's and the romance is good but above all this is a conplex mystery first and foremost. I can't wait for the next as always. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I do like the character building in this series of books, Wexford and Charlotte have more intrigue and calamity to come

While I'd been worried a couple of books ago that this series was getting too stale for me to continue fully enjoying, this one was another winner for me and had all of the best bits that made me love this series from the get-go. With the book's investigation using the time period's Peace Celebrations as the backdrop, diplomats and world leaders from across Europe descend on London to both network and see the sights. When Wrex and Charlotte's wards, the fabulous Hawk and Raven, discover a body floating near the Serpentine, the couple are drawn into the case as a powerful member of the British government hint at revealing Charlotte's, aka A.J. Quill's, secret to ensure their co-operation in bringing down a murderer that may threaten the Empire. There was intrigue, action and mystery aplenty as the clock ticked ever so closely to the deadline and as the bodies start to stack up, it's up to our newly wedded couple to bring the perpetrators to justice as they threaten to auction off a military invention that would have devastating effects for whoever fails to possess its secrets.The Regency setting for this story was Penrose at her best as the rich historical details bringing the story together really shone. Wrexford and Charlotte were forced to take part in the frivolities brought about by so many European rulers travelling to celebrate the end of Napoleon's reign, resulting in balls and hobnobbing while each of them had to play the game as they remained unsure as to who the threat truly was. London and Oxford being put forward at their best for the country's visitors provided the author with excellent content to use as inspiration and, as always, she wove historical fact with creative license beautifully. The cast of characters remained steady and readers familiar with this series will get to catch up with all of their favourites along with a few old and new faces popping up. I loved the addition of a new 'Weasel' as Charlotte and Wrex once again open their home to someone in need. The book continues to be told from different points of view (Wrexford, Charlotte and the Weasels in this instance).I found the author's writing style really solid in this book. There wasn't too much repetition (and only one mention of shirred eggs, thank baby Jesus) which I had found an issue with in past books as the same terms and phrases were trotted out. The absence of repeated vocabulary gave the book a fresher feel and one that I felt had been lacking in some of the the follow up books (with the exception of Book 5 which I also loved). If you haven't picked up a book in this series before, you can certainly get away with starting here as there are brief recaps throughout to help both old and new readers. One thing I will mention though - the blurb at the start of the book synopsis on Amazon begins by saying 'For fans of Bridgerton...' Please don't let this sway you as apart from the Regency elements specific to the times, there's really not a lot the two have in common. I get it, Bridgerton is all the rage at the moment and this might hook some new readers, but to compare them? * insert shudder * Nope. In my completely useless opinion, the writing and content here are vastly different and, dare I say it, vastly superiour. GASP.Now that I've ticked off all the Bridgerton fans (cool your jets - I have a couple of the books, too), lovers of this series will be happy to see that a couple of the characters finally get a bit of a boot in the you-know-where and act on an aspect of their relationship that's been building. Yes, we can all build a collective sigh of relief. One thing I really loved in this book was the teeny tiny melting of Wrex's hard-nosed constitution whenever he thought of Charlotte. I'm so glad the author went there and added a miniscule bit more romance because I ate up every page it was on and was left wanting more. Their new marriage dynamic was also fantastic to read as a fan of the series. There was more mention of A.J. Quill (finally!), something that I felt was needed after previous stories had let Charlotte's character down since her alter ego is so pivotal to her role in the investigations (not mention an important part of what makes Charlotte, well, Charlotte).This book also had a terrific, gothic feel to it since the author really dragged the reader into the pages. While the perpetrators of the murder were pretty predictable, it was still an enjoyable ride that has me already looking forward to the next book. Most of the issues I'd had with some of the previous stories (which I still loved and haven't rated any of these books lower than 4 stars) were absent here with the exception of the Weasels running from trouble after getting up to mischief they'd promised they wouldn't get involved in. And while the book had a great amount of detail, the story wasn't bogged down with it as had previously on occasion. There was just enough for me to get my teeth into it without constantly reminding me that by knowledge in Mathematics won't ever give me a career in that field lol. The author has very cleverly added all of the extra bits to her website for readers to dabble in at will (I loved the engravings of the Peace Celebrations there). So to sum up, this was a solid read with all the elements of this series I love included. It was well-worth the price and reminded me why I fell in love with this series and continue to one-click it. Oh, and the cover is perfect!

It was amusing and entertaining. with great characters and a good sense of humor. I am waiting for the next part of this story. Thanks

Another good story line with the right touch of romance. Interesting characters, well researched with a plausible plot. Loved it. Good

Another very good murder mystery. A bit harder to figure out the bad guys in the story. Hope AP continues to write more stories about these strong characters. Very clean in language and no sex seances which would take away from the soreness. thank you for that!